Andrew Wakefield: Worst person in the world

I’m not as big a fan of Keith Olbermann as I used to be. Indeed, sometimes he strikes me as the liberal version of Rush Limbaugh, not to mention a blowhard. However, occasionally, he still has it, and when he’s on, no one skewers the dishonest better than he does. For instance, after a media flack and the usual inclusion of Bill O’Reilly as runners up, meet Andrew Wakefield, the Worst Person in the World for February 10, 2009:

I wonder how long before the antivaccinationist loons descend on Olbermann’s website and try to tell him that Paul Offit is the Worst Person in the World. Feel free to send him a congratulatory message at [email protected]. You know the antivax zealots will be deluging his mailbox.

If the anti-vaccinationists had any grasp of logic, shouldn’t they be venting their agita on Dr. Wakefield?

They were lied to – by Dr. Wakefield.

Their children were endangered, sickened, and some may have been killed – not directly by Dr. Wakefield, but by their decision to avoid vaccination, since they listened to Dr. Wakefield.

They were humiliated – by you and other people, who pointed out the recklessness of endangering their children, since they listened to Dr. Wakefield.

Maybe they should just take a class in logic. No, that would be logical. They probably aren’t yet able to understand the logic of taking a course in logic, so they will probably ignore the whole thing and continue as they did before – blissfully ignorantly irrationally maniacally preaching anti-science. Isn’t Anti-science a medical specialty, with Dr. Wakefield, Dr. Gordon, Deepak Chopra, Dr. Weil, and some others enthroned on the Board of Quacks?

Wakefield’s a right nasty piece of work alright, but “Worst Person in the World” might be stretching it a bit. There’s some really stiff competition out there – it’s not like he’s ever had anybody boiled alive, unlike Islam Karimov.

He might not be the worst person in the world. He has some stiff competititon from people like Rath.

Wakefield probably lags Rath in the global body count but it is only a matter of time.

He is probably worse than Rath in some respects. You could sort of argue that an adult with HIV can at least make some sort of choice about retrovirals versus vitamin pills but infant children cannot make any sort of choice.

Wakefield is a crook who doctored childrens medical histories in pursuit of his own agenda/financial benefit. The net result of this was a huge amount of grief and distress for thousand of parents who thought they had done the wrong thing in trying to protect their children from potentially fatal ilnesses. Not to mention an increase in previously virtually eradicated illnesses.

Wakefield was only in it for the money and the Â£400K plus he extracted from Legal Aid was probably the driving force behind his falsification of records.

He exploited the parents and the children medically, financially and ethically.

No jabbophobe has managed to rebut the accusations made against Wakefield. They mereley reference Wakefields self-serving cant.

It would be a positive outcome if the origin of jabbophobia were demonstrably proved to be complete rubbish and the result of criminal fraud. Hopefully it might act as a nail in the coffin of jabbophobia (alas, it probably won’t be the final one as the loons will always find something else).

How many deaths can we attribute to his fraud or mind-boggling arrogance? How many children did that fraud put in the hospital?

Putting aside obvious mass-murderers (Hitler, Stalin) and mega-sociopaths (Mugabe) and looking at health only, fewer than islamists claiming the polio vaccine was a western plot in Nigeria, fewer than counterfeit medicine manufacturers in India exporting to Africa and elsewhere, fewer than anti-abortionists who deny safe abortion facilities anywhere and everywhere, fewer than condom-denying priests unworried by spread of HIV, fewer than the AIDS drug denialism in South Africa, fewer than drug companies who won’t supply modern drugs at affordable prices in poorer countries.

Fault in the MMR issue case lies only partially with Wakefield; it was the uncritical and irresponsible wailing by newspapers and other media that provided the oxygen to fan his small spark into a raging bushfire of stupidity. Wakefield is rightly being criticised because he kicked it off, but it’s too easy to focus on the one key name and forget the role of the complicit and compliant media hacks.

Most of the important issues in the world do not have a nice single target person to attack. It ain’t that easy.

“…fewer than counterfeit medicine manufacturers in India exporting to Africa and elsewhere, fewer than anti-abortionists who deny safe abortion facilities anywhere and everywhere, fewer than condom-denying priests unworried by spread of HIV, fewer than the AIDS drug denialism in South Africa, fewer than drug companies who won’t supply modern drugs at affordable prices in poorer countries.
Fault in the MMR issue case lies only partially with Wakefield;…”

I don’t disagree with the numbers, but I would make this point: the current anti-abortionists didn’t start their bandwagon, nor did the current AIDS deniers, or priests theirs, etc. – but Wakefield alone is responsible for starting the anti-vaccine crap rolling. Yes it got picked up by other stupid/gullible/dishonest folk, but he is the source, and not because he was a caring person who was wrong, or mislead, but because he was a greedy asshole. For that, it is impossible (in my opinion) to be too hard on him.

Wakefield’s a right nasty piece of work alright, but “Worst Person in the World” might be stretching it a bit.

That’s “worst person in the world” this week, I believe, not all-time worst person in the world. And that’s about right. Of course, even among autism quackery peddlers you can find some stiff competition: John Best Jr., the Geiers, JB Handley, Rashid Buttar, Roy Kerry, and I’d even include Ginger Taylor.

Maybe he ran out of time, but I can’t believe that Olberman neglected to mention that Wakefied did all of this “research” while under the employment of trial attorneys trying to sue the vaccine manufacturers. Worserest?

But let that not blind us to the more important culprits in the wider scheme of things.

I recommend reading Ben Goldacre’s book about quackery and other anti-science stuff. I agree with his analysis that the lazy reporting is the main motor of this sort of nonsense gaining credibility.

With a rational, inquiring, scientifically literate press, the line would have been “some doctor says this stuff but it looks like complete rubbish”, and the Mercury Morons would have been roasted whenever they were allowed air-time.

Wakefield does seem an unpleasant and greedy person. It’s interesting to see how his supporters in the anti-everything camp can’t see that but can grumble about “Big Pharma” while not seeing Wakefield’s attempts to mint a stack of wonga on single vaccines as anything other than honorable (how would they have seen that if done by one of their enemies? greedy and amoral!).

Wakefield also shows one of the characteristics of quacks that Ben Goldacre has identified – he launches libel suits. He’s medically qualified, but he now behaves like a quack.

Thanks for those pointing out that this isn’t a worst person ever sort of “award”.

Orac is superhuman (if not downright supernatural) and never sleeps. So he posts his rather excellent articles in the middle of the night (after his hospital has locked up the blood bank) whilst hanging upside down from his roost.

As such his first batch of commentators are usually Brits (you can usually tell by the choice of swearwords and Britishisms – “wonga” for example; which will have the Americans going to onelook.com for the meaning ) and insomniac Americans.

Most of this lot will not only have read Bad Science but will be able to quote it in it’s entirety.

Maybe it should be renamed “Arsehole Of The Day”. Lets face it – it could hardly have been won by a bigger arsehole could it ?

And the media were indeed complicit in the jabbophobe furore but it was AOTD Wakefield that gave them the ammunition.

The GR folks are media-savvy. They have to know now they need to cut the cord with Wakefield, if for no other reason than they will end up (deservedly) getting painted with the same brush if they continue to defend him.

Countdown at MSNBC with Keith Olbermann has some serious news and commentary; also has features like tomato fights, stupid criminals who leave their wallets at the bank, and the daily worst people in the world – cue exclamation points.

Anyway, the three people are chosen for that one day. They must be alive and have done something recently.

If us Brits do get to nominate ‘Arsehole of the Day’, could we start with the ‘science/medical’ correspondent of the Daily Mail? Wakefield might be a scumbag, but it was the Mail (and others) that made it front page news every day. In fact, considering the Mail’s stance on pretty much everything, they could have the award for a fair while…

“Charleston, W.Va. Dr. John A. King, the osteopathic surgeon who generated 124 medical malpractice lawsuits while on the staff of Putnam General Hospital between November 2002 and June 2003, filed a $50 million lawsuit against Morgantown lawyer Lance Rollo on Jan. 28.
***
Putnam General partially suspended King’s privileges after Dr. Edward G. Dawson, the late UCLA physician, completed an independent peer-review report that called King “a snake-oil salesman” and a “criminal.”

King left West Virginia shortly after Putnam General restricted his privileges.
***
But after King left Putnam General, 124 medical malpractice suits were filed against him, Putnam General and HCA. Many of those suits alleged King’s surgeries caused permanent physical damage.

Last year, HCA and Putnam General settled those lawsuits against them for about $100 million.”

According to David Kirby, on his HuffingtonPost blog, he contacted Keith Olbermann and convinced him that Brian Deer has a conflict of interest – and Keith Olbermann will name Brian Deer as worst person the world tonight.

The scary thing is I beleive Olbermann would retract, just because he hates Rupert Murdoch and Fox so much. I really hope he doesn’t think scoring political points is as important as giving anti-vaccine wingnuts more ammunition to defend Andrew Wakefield.

What amazes me is that you people openly mock the media for allowing the parents of vaccine injured children to have a voice.

What, are we in a Communist state?

And then, when the media releases something that is riddled with numerous research errors by someone who has an obvious bias, but it supports the position of those spiteful people, then it is ok.

Delicious irony.

Deer’s vituperation is a blaring conflict of interest. A reporter brings up charges against Dr. Wakefield, then offers to write as a “freelance” writer who is reporting on the trial, but without telling the paper he is writing for that he was the one who brought up the charges.

What is even more hilarious is that you people thought that what he wrote was credible.

And you brain-washed zombies ate it up like candy! I’m going to be laughing about this for quite some time.

“Deer’s vituperation is a blaring conflict of interest. A reporter brings up charges against Dr. Wakefield, then offers to write as a “freelance” writer who is reporting on the trial, but without telling the paper he is writing for that he was the one who brought up the charges.”

Yeah, it was rather foolish of Mr. Deer to leave all that information about his actions on the cryptically named, “briandeer.com” website, wasn’t it?

And…let’s see…Brian Deer’s original articles on Wakefield were in the “sunday times”. The most recent articles were in the times only…a site by “the sunday times”.

Pretty disingenuous to claim that Brian Deer was hiding his history from the paper, isn’t it?

No, he caved. It was embarassing that someone who talks about the journalistic (lack of) integrity of Rupert-Murdoch owned media entities couldn’t even be bothered to do the most cursory research into the claims made the likes of David Kirby.

Olbermann went ahead and took a jab at Murdoch at the expense of a decent journalist and thousands more kids that will get sick because the anti-vax freaks will be able to convince their parents the MMR really is bad.

“What amazes me is that you people openly mock the media for allowing the parents of vaccine injured children to have a voice. ”

Quote? No one has ever managed to show any occassion where the parents we’re denied a voice. Dr Wakefield is not the parents and no-one has any responsibility to with-hold any criticism just because they are parents.

The mocking of Dr Wakefield is not the same as the mocking of the parents. Dr wakefield’s action were informed by the voice fo the parents, but we’re still ultimately his own responsibility.

Had he come up with a paper showing no connections, he would still be giving the parents a voice, as giving someone a voice and agreeing with it are two seperate things.

Basically, they’re complaining that Brian Deer made a compliant using the complaints system, then worked as a reporter reporting the findings of the complaints system.

I’ve never been a defendant in a fitness to practice hearing (and hopefully never shall) but the complainant is usually only nominally involved, with their input limited to being a witness (if they are one). Such things are usually run based on tangible records, the idea that Brain Deer could influence them through newspaper articles is an offence to thier professional status.

If they had any evidence that Brain Deer made a unfounded complaint in order to generate a job for himself, then they’d have something to write about. But they don’t.

“The GR folks are media-savvy. They have to know now they need to cut the cord with Wakefield, if for no other reason than they will end up (deservedly) getting painted with the same brush if they continue to defend him.”

Anonimouse:

This doesn’t have *anything* to do with being “media-savvy” — it has to do with truth. And the truth is Andy Wakefield is one of the most upstanding individuals we know and we will continue to support him regardless of “which way the winds” of public opinion flow.

Good for you Kelli, it’s nice to come across an organisation that is willing to risk its funding, grants, status with partner organisations and power to obtain services in order to stand up for the rights of one man.

Personally I prefer organisations that work for the beneficiaries even if harsh calls have to be made.

Vaccine damages are sp common they have to have a VICP{VACCINE INJURY COMPENSATION PROGRAM}to handle all the people that are killed,maimed and otherwise damaged from poor quality vaccines and an unsafe vaccine schedule.History will portray Dr Wakefield as a hero.

You folks are even more media-savvy than I give you credit for. Feeding Olbermann the whole “Brian Deer has a conflict of interest” story, knowing that it’s misleading (at best), was a stroke of genius. You knew Keith would take the easy shot at Rupert Murdoch vis-a-vis Deer rather than actually, you know, fact check.

And don’t tell me you – or someone in your inner-circle – did NOT feed him that story, because it basically right off of David Kirby/J.B. Handley talking points.

“Vaccine damages are sp common they have to have a VICP{VACCINE INJURY COMPENSATION PROGRAM}to handle all the people that are killed,maimed and otherwise damaged from poor quality vaccines and an unsafe vaccine schedule.History will portray Dr Wakefield as a hero.”

Wow! There’s those that view the glass half full…those that view it half empty…and those, like Richard, that view it back out through the same opening in his backside where his head has been jammed in.

And what exactly is the role of trial lawyers in all this Dick? Did you ever read the federal government statements as to why they had to come up with the system to begin with? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Poor quality vaccines? Can you give us examples? Unsafe schedules? Based on what?

Wakefield is a liar and a fraud. If you knew anything about how and what he dose…the same line of work I’m in…you’d know this. But instead, you’ve got an opinion. Just another sideline, armchair expert, worthless opinion based on a farfetched delusional ideology.

William Wallace: Brian Deer is the guy who has been leading the charge for years against Wakefield — so much so that Wakefield sued him for libel a few years ago, then dropped his suit (and paid court costs) rather than suffer defeat.

And this is in the UK, mind you, which has very plaintiff-friendly libel laws. That should tell you something.

Go to day ten, and just keep reading about the reaction Chadwick got when he told Wakefield that the tests were flawed. It is not a scientific paper, but a legal proceeding. The GMC in the UK will probably rule later this year on Wakefield’s ethics violations.

In the mean time, measles continues to return to Europe and just this week a 12 year old French girl died in Geneva.

Wow! Kelli Ann Davis actually wrote something…a luxury her and her counterparts at AoA seldom allow for those here that have something to contribute to their discussion (although those pesky facts keep getting in the way of their fantasies). Do you think it is a coincidence that people are free to post here while you fools seem to need to edit everything you don’t like to hear?

“Interestingly, and in an unusual move, the DOJ staff are also sending around copies of the Sunday Times of London articles by Brian Deer, about Andy Wakefieldâs alleged scientific misconduct – in an effort to discredit him and his work prior to the Vaccine Court rulings. ”

WOW! I cannot believe this! I spent this afternoon reading the comments following Kirby’s latest rant, then thought about them on the way home. When I looked at them again, just now, most of the ‘dissenting opinions’ have been eliminated! All of them…gone!

What does that say about the Huffington Post?! Another AoA. Great! Hey, if you can’t seal with the facts….erase them!

The point is not about “public opinion”, or the direction of the wind …itâs about objective facts (or lack thereof). History is rife with ignorant rants against reason, yours is no different. Your blind support is not challenging, it is exhausting… truly.
When presenting yourself as a medical authority you should know that credibility equals accountability. You have neither. What you do have is the very real responsibility of your actions. Sleep well. There is no conspiracy.
What are you, an idiot?

I also knew Wakefield. Professionally, as I trained and worked at the Royal Free but also from the ‘other side’ as I had a close friend with inflammatory bowel disease who he saw in the dept and whom I sometimes accompanied to these apts.

But that’s incidental. It has nothing to do with what’s happened. And even if you’ve seen him give the kiss of life to puppies every morning this year, it means nothing against the hard FACTS of what he’s done.

He’s not God – really he isn’t. He’s a self-serving, self-regarding, egotistical, cynically calculating toerag who rubbed his greedy paws in glee over the shitstorm against MMR he knew would come. He knew his market, you see, and the times were with him. And you shamelessly love-struck Mommies who’ve wished the last decade away while putting your kids at risk still won’t have the intelligent and grace to admit- even to yourselves – that you’ve been well and truly had.

Last night, Wednesday, February 11, 2009, you smeared one of the finest investigative reporters in the world. Brian Deer singlehandedly brought to light the corruption and pseudo-science of Andrew Wakefield, a British physician who started the measles scare that has resulted in dead and disabled children.

I was asking myself, “What were you thinking?” and could not come up with an answer until I read David Kirby’s article on the Huffington Post. Kirby is a bottom feeding former journalist who is now the mouthpiece for the anti-vaccination movement in the United States. He teamed up with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., another science know-nothing, to place fear and doubt in the minds of parents whose children require vaccination.

These zealots will stoop to anything to get their evil point accross. You walked right into their trap.

You could, of course, have David Kirby as the Worst Person In the World, with the runner-ups being J. B. Handley of Generation Rescue and one of Kirby’s handlers, and Dan Olmsted, another former journalist who had a series on the Amish and Autism where he claimed that he could not find any autistic Amish. Seems he could not find the Clinic For Special Children, where they are treated.

A US court has this week awarded a family a payment of up to $20m as compensation for their daughter who suffered autism after she was given multiple vaccines, including the MMR.

Hannah Poling, a 13-year-old girl, was a just another normal and healthy child until she was given five vaccinations, which included the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) shot, in 2000.

Then her health started to decline rapidly and she also developed fevers, stopped eating, wasnât responding to stimulus, and started to display symptoms of autism, her parents said.
Although the government accepted liability in 2007, the settlement figure has only been recently agreed upon.

Itâs estimated that her parents will receive an immediate $1.5m compensation payment followed by annual sums of $500,000 to pay for her care. The award could easily reach $20m, say prosecutors.

OK, Sarah. time to stop spamming. What are you doing, going to every post that has St Andy mentioned and posting the CBS information which has INCORRECT information? Again, Hannah Poling was NOT a “normal and healthy child” before she got her vaccines. She has a mitochondrial issue. Now please shut up and go away until you have READ the court’s decision.